<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Hi all. Sorry this took so long to send - I know a lot of people are interested in the responses. The overall sense is that celiacs should be able to eat safely in Hong Kong if they are careful. Refer to _Against the Grain_ for a restaurant card in Chinese - I need to run it past a Chinese friend still to make sure it makes sense, and maybe to expand it a bit. Thanks to everyone who responded! Chris --------------------- I went to Taiwan (not to HK or Thailand) in November, 3 months after being diagnosed and starting a GF diet. I was with a Chinese friend in Taiwan, so he would translate. The biggest challenge was to stay away from soy sauce, since it often contains wheat. We knew what kinds of noodles to stay away from; and of course dumplings were out. I had wonderful rice dishes and fruits and fresh vegetables for every meal. I came back feeling better than I had felt in 3 years! If you have good translations, I think you'll have a fabulous trip. In both HK and Thailand, as in Taiwan, corn starch is widely used instead of flour. You're going to have a great time. Enjoy. --------------------- I know nothing about traveling in these two places, but I do a fair amount of Thai cooking, and most of it is GF. A few dishes have soy sauce, so that is the thing to watch for, but otherwise rice and rice noodles are the starch of choice. I hope you go, and give us a report! I spent a bunch of time in an Asian grocery store yesterday and I find it fascinating. --------------------- I have just returned from a trip to Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. In Hong Kong, of the three dinners, two with a set menu ( I did not know about the first until I arrived) and the third at the Hong Kong Country Club, where I ate grilled fish, no problem. For the other two, I was able to be accomodated, even at the last minute. Foods are not pre marinated. One can always eat steamed vegetables and shrimps, stir fries without sauces, grilled fish. There are rice based societies which makes it easier. For lunches, I was able to find restaurants that served salads, grilled vegetables and had no problems. I used an English celiac card. I had one lunch at the Peak, a trendy Western-style restaurant (cannot remember the name, but it is well known and another lunch at the Penninsula Hotel (salad and grilled vegetables). I brought muffins and crackers with me and used them for breakfasts. I probably ate too many poached eggs; fruits were wonderful. You are also better off at upmarket restaurants like in North America where they are more willing to make adjustments to the meals. I would not eat on the street in either place; I did not do that even before being on a GF diet. I was in Bangkok years ago, so I cannot give advise on foods, only to say it is a wonderfully interesting city and one not to miss. I love travelling and have been to also to Italy, England and Ireland in the last year since starting this diet without any problems. I would not allow the diet to restrict me from visiting any country I was interested in going to. --------------------- Hmmm...I had often wondered about a celiac travelling in Asia. Scary thought--even with a restaurant card in Chinese, I don't know that he'd be able to avoid everything bad for him. At least, here on the mainland in south China, resaurants cook from scratch and the meat and vegetables are okay--its the sauces that you have to be leery of. They are made sometimes with starch, sometimes with flour to thicken. The seasoning is often based on chicken or beef boullion, and if it is a dish with a little vinegar thrown in, they themselves couldn't tell you how that vinegar was processed. And labels of snack foods are often in Chinese--and sometimes do not even tell you what is is in something. Now, if you want to survive on rice and fresh fruit, and if restaurants can understand you don't want any sauces or spices in your vegetables (might as well eat them raw, which is not suggested here!), you might do okay. --------------------- Last year I have been to Taiwan and, useless to say, there are problems with food (it's not true that in China they only eat rice!). You have to be careful to the sauces they use because they could contain wheat! Ask them and show the translation card you have, they are all very gentle people and if it's clearly written they will be glad to help you. Please..do not give up to your trip only for the GF diet! I have had sometimes the same feeling and I didn't like it! We do not have to think like that! Never! --------------------- I have travelled extensively in both HK, China and Thailand. No problems providing normal precautions taken. Eat local as addatives are few. English widely spoken. Rice noodles OK avoid all others. Plenty of places to eat where they cook in front of you. If you are sensitive to MSG this will be a major problem. Sauces both cooking and addatives to the meal are thicked with either soya or rice flour. Stacks of really interesting fresh foods. Try the Tom Yam Koom! it will blow you away. Oh this after some 33 years experience. Only problem I have ever had has been with western type foods. Recomend you avoid as much as possible. Look out for warnings about certain fish or crabs in both countries. Major polution problems hit locals first (they get the really fresh stuff) Have a great time. If you want more please let me know. --------------------- I'd be interested in what you find out as I may be going to Singapore in November. I, too, am a little hesitant about the food but in that the Eastern cuisines are basically rice based, I guess we shouldn't have too much trouble. Then again, I've never been one to let just the food stop me from travelling (I generally carry enough reserve(i.e., body fat) to get through most situations). --------------------- Where did you get your GF restaurant card in Chinese. I will be going to China towards the end of May and would love to get a copy of this card. My husband, not a CD, has been to Hong Kong many times and he claims it is one of the most beautiful cities. Know you are going to love it. Will follow up with my husband and see if he has any recommendations for you. --------------------- I've been both places - absolutely you should go! In Thailand I got a hotel emloyee to write me a note for restaurants which worked fine. They serve rice noodles at almost all restaurants, rice is everywhere, and no one uses additives or hardly any thickeners. I never got sick once! Hong Kong has an enormous range of culinary styles, but many of the local places have chinese dishes with no wheat. There also they seem to use almost all natural-state ingredients which are much easier for me to handle than the chemical-filled replacements, and hotel staff are very helpful about making inquiries and recomendations. Also the cooks in many places will make you food to order if you ask in a friendly way. I have travelled quite a bit in some places that are considered quite primative, and in my experience I am likely to have a much better time eating in the smaller cheaper places than thoses that are recommended for the usual tourists. The cooks usually can and will tell you exactly what is in every item on the menu, and not having the commercially-prepared additives takes a lot of pressure off my system, so that any trace of bacteria which would normally send me to the toilet immediately, is dealt with easily. I have eaten in Thailand at street vendors stalls and boat-deck cook-shops and never regretted a bite. --------------------- I haven't been to either of these countries but we do have a lot of authentic Thai food here in the SF Bay area and the food is wonderful and mostly gf! I would definately go on your trip! --------------------- I live in Hong Kong and have done so for 15 years. And I'm going to live in Thailand in September. There is a health food shop in Hong Kong called Health Gate. The tel number is (852) if you're calling from overseas, and then 25452286. The fax is (852) 28540770. They get a lot of products from E-nergi (spelling?) in Seattle. As far as restaurants are concerned - um. If you're going to a restaurant where you have to use the card because they don't speak English, you might not have much luck. They're not used to dealing with people who have allergies/ intolerances. Having said that, corn flour (I think this is what you call corn starch) is usually used as a thickener. Chinese vegetarian restaurants might be an easier option. If you go to a more up market place, you can speak to them in English. But, you don't just have to eat Chinese food here - there's great Indian food - and if you go to a proper restaurant - as opposed to a hole in the wall - you can speak to them about your requirements. Gaylord in Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui is one example. For me it's quite easy as I've lived here a long time. Also, I don't have to worry about vinegar and I don't have any problems with other foods eg diary products etc ( I don't know if you do, but a lot of people on the list seems to) Actually, Thai restaurants are very safe. Apart from some bottled sauces, they don't use wheat much at all. The Thai restaurants near the airport in Hong Kong (well it will be the old airport by the time you arrive) are the best and most traditional place to eat Thai in Hong Kong. But then if you're going to Thailand, you probably won't want to eat Thai in Hong Kong. Don't worry about not coming - if you want to eat cheaply, you'll just have to put a bit more effort into finding out what's in the food. There are restaurants of every description and price in Hong Kong. --------------------- I went to China and Hong Kong just before the hand back. I ate lots of rice, eggs, lettuce, cucumbers, and when in restaraunts I bought steak, plain. I missed the ethnic diet, but I didn't get sick.